The Pokemon Hoenn Adventures
by Bister Brown
Summary: Join bestfriends, Bister and Brodie, as they graduate from Trainer School in Rustboro City and begin their journey across Hoenn to compete in the Pokemon League. As evil forces begin to tear the friends apart, whose side will you choose?
1. Chapter 1

"Bister, I want you home by four, okay?" my mother walked up to me holding my red back pack. Her short brown hair was permed at the bottom, creating loose curls that bounced up and down as she moved along. She smiled as she knelt down to my height to give me my bag before leaning into me. "I packed you a sandwich" she whispered before giving me a quick peck me on the cheek.

"Bye mum!" I called back to her as I walked out the door, ready for my next adventure. I got up onto my new bike and cycled down the road as fast as I could, nearly knocking Mr Kemp (the bicycle road owner) off his feet – he always was a horrid old man anyway.

After about ten minutes of cycling I reached the Day Care Center. I got off my bike and peered over the picket fence.

"Luke!" I called over the fence as I saw the boy I was looking for.

A face appeared over the fence, "Look at this!" he beckoned me over.

I looked twice and then hurled myself over the fence. I landed in the idyllic garden full of small and friendly looking pokémon. "What is it?" I said to Luke as my eyes tried to take every detail in of my surroundings.

Luke ran off to the other side of the garden and picked something up into his arms, I followed him, intrigued. When I reached him he turned around to reveal the pokémon that sat happily in his arms. It swamped him as he struggled to hold it up. I searched through my mind to think of what it was. Suddenly it hit me, "that's a Zigzagoon!" I said in realisation. The pokémon laughed gleefully at the sound of its name.

"It's my brother Isaac's" Luke said to me as the Zigzagoon chewed at the ends of his scruffy, navy blue hair. "Where were you off too?" he asked as he tried to part the pokémon from his hair.

I looked at him worriedly as he struggled. "Fishing actually" I replied, "wanna' come?"

Luke shook his head and looked down at Zigzagoon, whom had finally released Luke's hair. "I got to stay here while my brother's out" he said regrettably, "but next time" he promised with a smile.

I smiled back, "I better be off, I have to be back by four" I sighed.

"See you at school, Bist" he said as he trotted off into the Day Care building.

"Bye" I said quickly. I hopped over the fence again and back on to my bike.

I zoomed through Mauville and was past the Bicycle Road in no time. I decided to take a quick detour through the thin woods to get to the river. I raced over bumps and dips in the woodland floor so fast, it was if I was flying. The wind soared past my ears and through my hair, whipping it behind me.

Suddenly everything slowed as I found myself colliding with the hard ground. I quickly lost consciousness, and awoke to meet the familiar, but yet unknown, eyes of a young boy- a boy in my class that I'd never really talked to before. To be honest, he'd never seemed that nice, he came across as a competitive, stuck-up rich boy. His wavy blonde hair was perfectly maintained and even though he managed to sit me up against a tree, he had no mud or stains on his expensive looking clothes. Everyone knew his father, a powerful business owner in Rustboro City, where my sister and I went to school.

"I'm Brodie, you're Bister" he said slowly as he blurred into vision.

"I know my own name" I snapped at him, "I haven't lost my mind". The young boy looked at me blankly, unsure of what to do. I still felt uneasy, but ignorantly, I tried to get up onto my feet. I fell immediately, only to be caught by the young boy, Brodie.

"Maybe you should sit down" he said patronisingly with an 'I told you so' attitude, as he lowered me down to the floor slowly.

I obliged, although angered at him, and sat up against the tree. "What happened?" I asked him, in a calm and curious voice.

He shrugged his shoulders and took out a bottle of water from his bag. "I don't know" he said as he handed me the bottle. "I just found you here, but I figure it has something to do with that bike?" he chuckled lightly as he gestured to the bike. It lay good as new on the floor a few metres away from where I fell.

"Yeah" I sighed, "Must have hit something".

"Does it hurt?" Brodie asked me, seriously this time, as he knelt down to my height on the floor.

I nodded, "A little, but I think I can stand". I grabbed the boy's hand and tried to pull myself up onto my feet. "Pull me up" I said through my teeth as I struggled. Eventually I was up off the ground; I tried to wipe some of the mud off my shirt. The boy, Brodie, still held me up, preventing me from falling. I pushed at him forcefully, "Eww! Get off me" I cried childishly. He fell back in confusion before he quickly readjusted his stature and stood straight again.

"I'm sorry" he said sheepishly, his cheeks turning bright red and he looked down to the floor embarrassedly.

I tilted my head up pompously as I walked over to my bike. "Thank you for your help" I said ungratefully, "but I better be off now – I'm going fishing". I stood my bike upright and began to walk it slowly towards the river.

"Can I come?" a voice said from behind me, "- only, I love fishing" he explained.

I turned around to him. "Why should I let you come?" I snapped again at him.

He looked down as if in on a private joke before quickly looking back up at me, with a wide, blood-boiling, smirk on his face. "Because you're going the wrong way" he said through his grin.

I almost screamed I was so angry at him. "You'd better hurry up then" I said through my teeth in annoyance and embarrassment as I turned around my bike and began to walk in the other direction.

Brodie and I walked together until we reached the river - although I made him walk 4 metres behind me at all times.

The river was flowing slowly as usual. A dozen Taillow danced across the surface of the water like ice skaters on a frozen lake. The trees whistled quieted from the behind us as I sat down at the river bank. I watched Brodie as he sat down beside me. He looked out onto the river and sighed before turning to face me.

"Why didn't the Squirtle share his toys?" he said randomly and out of the blue.

I turned to him, confused and perplexed. "What?" I replied.

"Why didn't the Squirtle share his toys?" Brodie repeated with a smile, awaiting my reply.

"Urh…" I mumbled, "I don't know".

"Because he's shell-fish!" he cried enthusiastically. I looked at him blankly. He seemed puzzled at the fact that I hadn't let out a laugh at all. "That was a good joke!" he insisted as he sulked.

I laughed a little, not at the joke, but at him. "It was alright I suppose" I said as I turned to him. Feeling guilty, I opened my bag and took out my old battered rod. "Hey" I said as I handed it to him, "You wanna' fish?" I asked him. He turned and smiled at me as he happily took the rod from me. I got out my newer rod, attached bait, and chucked it out into the water.

We sat in silence for a few minutes admiring the view and watching a pair of Lotad played at the other side of the river.

"Can I try one more?" Brodie turned to me, spoiling the peace.

"No" I sighed. We both turned to each other and laughed at my bluntness.

"I'm going to tell you anyway" he said through his laughs. "What is the difference between a Snor"- he began.

"-No!" I interrupted him theatrically as I covered my ears with my hands and broke into laughter again.

He continued more loudly, "a Snorlax and a"-

"No!" I was almost crying now, not with tears, but in the insane laughing fit he'd put me in.

He stayed like this for hours, just two strangers by a river as we laughed and talked – and fished of course. I knew then it was the start of something amazing. From then on I would count the rich stuck-up boy in my class, as my friend.

"Mum?" I said as I peered round the opened door. There was no reply, which I was rather happy about since I was an hour late home. My plan was to slip upstairs and pretend I was there all along.

I tiptoed through the kitchen, still, no sign that anyone was in. I curiously looked around the kitchen; my mother's car keys were still there, her phone was still there, but where was she? I put down my bag on the table and wondered upstairs to see if she was in her room.

"Azumarill?" I called for my mother's pokémon.

"AZU!" a screech cried from downstairs. In fright, I hurled myself down the stairs.

"Mum?" I questioned, but something wasn't adding up- the opened door, no reply.

I ran into the living room. Azumarill stood over a still body, her face writhing with pain. I suddenly felt faint as looked down at the brown curls of hair that lay dormant on the floor. Without a word, I let out a scream.

_6 years later…_

It is so easy to lose yourself staring up at the stars. Their beauty so stunning it can make you forget all your worries and fears. I look up at the consolation of Tauros, imagining the magnificent beast from which its name comes. The image brings me back to earth as I remember it all; in less than a week I'll have finished school and I'll be off into the world alone. Although to travel and train is my dream, the thought is terrifying. Leaving the beautiful highlands of Verdanturf town seems impossible, the place I've lived in all my life. All my memories of my mother are here. How could I possibly leave?

"Bister!" a familiar voice called, disrupting my train of thought, "Dad says you've got to come inside now". It was sister's voice, Hallie. I got up off the soft grass I'd been stargazing from and walked back towards the house. I saw Hallie's silhouette in the door of my house. She's not too bad as sisters go. She's helped me through a lot and I'm thankful for that, but she certainly has her strops from time to time.

A Zubat flew overhead and into a close tree. It was silent as it moved through the dark, making me feel even more alone then I probably was. I looked up at the snow topped mountains in the distance and imagined the beautiful mysterious places that must lie beyond them. I dreamt endlessly of the places and pokémon I have yet to encounter on my journeys. But until then, Verdanturf is my home and I know I will sorely miss it when I'm gone.

My house is one of the largest in our town. The Yellow-oak tree walls were black in the darkness. A Hoot-Hoot called from the roof. I looked up to see it, a shadow against the night, but it flew away when it noticed my curiosity. I opened my old, wooden door, without a squeak. My dad, Stuart, stood in the kitchen, seemingly oblivious to my return.

He used to work in Rusturf Tunnel until the plans were scraped to avoid disturbing some Whismurs. It would have been awfully handy to have a tunnel through to Route 116. My school was in Rustboro City, just south of Route 116, but instead I had to walk through several towns to get there. But I didn't mind, since I'd of had to walk through a dark tunnel all by myself if it'd been built - who knows what scary pokémon lurk in the shadows? Anyways, I liked the walk, and I got to see a lot of pokémon and their trainers. Sometimes I'd even get to see a battle between two trainers.

"Excited about school tomorrow, Bist?" my dad asked, acknowledging me.

I didn't answer straight away because I didn't quite know how I felt about tomorrow. Tomorrow morning marked my last few days at Trainer School, the last three days before I became a trainer. It seemed silly to be anxious about it when I thought of all the people who set off on their adventures at 10 or 11 years old. But it was my mother's wish for me to stay on to school until I was 16, and so I did.

"Yeah, I suppose" I eventually replied.

He noticed my hesitation and looked at me as if he understood my worry and anxiety, perhaps because he was worried about me leaving is well. "Don't you worry yourself" he said softly, "You are much more ready for this then I was when I became a trainer".

I looked down at the floor, unsure of why I felt embarrassed, it was most likely to be because what my father was telling me was true. He set off at the tender, naïve age of 11 to take on the world of pokémon. He made some mistakes along the way, but who doesn't?

I looked up at him and smiled, "Thanks dad" and without another word, walked upstairs to bed.

My sister was already in bed; her beautiful golden brown locks of hair covered her face. I suddenly realised how tired I was. I quickly got into my night clothes and into bed. A big damaged old book sat on my bed-side table titled, 'Hoenn Myths and Legends'. The book reminded me of my exam results that I'd receive on my last day. I felt confident about my 'Trainer Knowledge' and 'Trainer Skill' exams, but I'd had to spend extra time revising my 'Hoenn and beyond - geography'. The 'History' exam I actually found rather interesting to revise for. Many nights I spent reading about tales from Hoenn and afar. But tonight I was far too tired for that, and dropped off almost immediately.

The next morning I awoke to find my sister and Azumarill tidying the room. After my mother died my sister saw it unfit to leave home with the state my dad was in. Now she has nothing to do but help around the house and keep Dad company while I'm at school. She'd like to get a job at the Pokémon Day Care down the road, but it always seems like something is holding her back. I felt sorry for her sometimes, wondering if she really liked being cooped up here.

"Come on Bister, it's your last week of school ever!" she exclaimed, "You've only got till Wednesday! You don't want to miss a minute" she added while folding clean clothes that Azumarill was handing her.

I got out of bed and walked to my wardrobe. I picked out some dark blue jeans and a 'Mossdeep Rockers' (one of Hoenn's best, and by far my personal favourite, rock band) band t-shirt. Once I was changed I went downstairs to help myself to some PokéPops. I carefully spooned out the PokéPops from their box and tried to filter out my favoured flavour, Pinap Pikachu. I added the milk and then ravenously circled the bowl with my spoon, picking out the yellow Pikachu shapes. They then sloshed around in the milk on my spoon before I consumed them. This carried on until there were no more Pikachus, and I subsequently had to pick out the odd stray mediocre PokéPop, such as Razz Rapidash and Tanga Treeko.

I picked up my bright red back pack and headed out the door with Azumarill. I walk to school every day with Azumarill – not because I need protecting, but because I have to cross some water at Route 103 before I get to Oldale Town. I use Azumarill to surf across the water, but she also keeps me company. I heard my dad call goodbye as I shut the door behind me, but I was too late to reply.

We started out towards Mauville City which is just along the road the Day Care is on. The sun was hot on my back and I remembered the heat wave that was due this month. I looked down at the exhausted Azumarill and took out a bottle of fresh spring water. I hand the bottle to her and delighted, she took several gulps of water until I had to prize it out of her hands out of fear there would be none left for the rest of the journey.

"Bister?" a voice calls from behind the fence of the Day Care. It was Isaac, one of my sister's friends who worked in the Day Care as a pokémon breeder. His jet black hair was covered by a bright red cloth hat that all qualified breeders would wear. He stood in a matching red apron, holding a small Zigzagoon - the pokémon wriggled joyfully in his arms as he tiggled its tummy.

"Isaac" I replied in recognition.

"I haven't seen you here for a while" he said awkwardly. "How's Hallie?" he asked sheepishly as his cheeks blushed pink.

"She's good" I answered, a little confused. "She's thinking of training to become a breeder or a day care assistant here" his eyes grew wild in excitement as I said the words.

"Really!" he exclaimed before realising how overly excited he'd sounded. He cleared his throat before trying again; "Really?" he repeated, more quietly this time, and obviously embarrassed at his outburst. "Well, you can tell her I am always willing to help her if she wants" he smiled hopefully.

I was not sure how my sister felt about Isaac. He was nice enough, an attractive and caring individual, but I only knew them to be friends. He came over every so often, and sometimes they would go to the markets together, but lately he hadn't been around much.

"I'll make sure I tell her, I'm sure she'd love that" I told him with a smile. "I got to go now, I'm late as it is" I quickly added, anxious to get off to school as Azumarill impatiently tugged on my arm.

He smiled, "Thank you Bister, it's good to see you. Have a nice day". I waved and turned back to the road towards Mauville City.

We entered the bustling city of Mauville rather promptly. Mauville was one of the most beautiful places in the world at night, the whole city would light up – it was almost the city that never sleeps. I came here a lot over the years; I use to play with my friends in the woods around here. Me and my best friend Brodie had our own mini adventures in the same woods he'd found me fallen from my bike all those years ago. We would climb trees in search of pokémon and rein-act pokémon battles.

Azumarill was walking at a fast pace today. She was already past the pokémon gym and about fifteen or so paces ahead of me. She obviously realised us bumping into Isaac had put us behind on time. But I was not too worried about being late. Instead, I admired the gym, imagining the battles inside. From what I've heard, the gym leader here is a master of electric types and is an extremely tricky fight. 'Wattson of Mauville Gym' the plaque on the front of the gym read.

I ran ahead to catch up with Azumarill as I noticed she would soon be out of sight at the rate she's walking.

The wood on the way to Oldale isn't very thick, but there are still a lot of pokémon around. A Minun danced between the trees, a Wingull flew far above in the blue sky and a Taillow sung from a tall ash tree.

You could see the Bicycle Road that lies almost obliviously, high in the tree tops. Brodie and I had been banned from the Bicycle Road for "dangerous racing that could be threatening the safety of others". The owner had informed us that the Bicycle Road was for a 'brisk cycle' above the trees and apparently _not_ for racing on. Not that the ban exactly stopped us both. We still managed to get on occasionally without much difficulty. I smiled as I remembered all of our scandalous encounters with the bitter Bicycle Road owner, Mr Kemp.

After a good hour of slow walking from Mauville City, I could see the water's edge in the distance. As soon as we got to the end of the land, Azumarill got in the water and gestured me to get on her back. I obliged and got on her blue, silky back. The journey was smooth and only the tips of my shoes got wet. I looked down to see a Magikarp swimming below us in the almost translucent waters. It swam around in circles in the water as if it had forgotten where it was going.

In no time, Azumarill has crossed the water and we resumed the walk ahead. Azumarill fastened the pace as we headed towards Oldale Town. Occasionally she goes home after we get to the other side of the water, but today I think she wants to make sure I get to school on time and stop dawdling.

We pass through the quaint town of Oldale, surprisingly even smaller than Verdanturf. I recognise one of the houses here to be the home of one of my school friends, Tiana. Her family moved here from the busy coastal city of Lilycove a few years back. Her family moved primarily so that Tiana could attend the school that her parents both went too in Rustboro City. It was a good school, both me and my sister attended.

After Oldale the trees became denser. Light beams shone down on the forest floor and danced about in the darkness. The forest was so quiet and still that I was glad I had Azumarill with me.

A loud shout echoed through the trees. I looked about, hopelessly searching for the source. Azumarill darted off towards it, leaving me alone and taken aback. I started to run after her, but in my hurry I tripped and fell over a root. I quickly jumped back up and ran off in the direction Azumarill ran.

I screamed and screamed for her in my panic, _where on earth has she gone_, I thought. She'd vanished so quickly it was remarkable, all I could do was run in the general direction she went in and shout for her.

Branches and thistles clawed at me as I sprinted through the forest. I was running so fast through the shrubbery that when I reached a well-lit clearing, I fell and grazed all up my arms.

I looked up and sighed in frustration at my stupidity. I froze, for as I looked up, I had, not half a metre from my face, a Poochyena that growled furiously at me. Its teeth glistened as it flared its fangs aggressively. I tried to back up slowly, keeping my eyes fixed on the pokémon. Suddenly it leapt at me; I covered my face with my hands in anticipation of the attack. But the attack didn't come, I opened one eye cautiously, and then the other. In front of me stood Azumarill, but before I could thank her she ran over to the other side of the clearing. I looked up curiously.

Lying on the ground behind her, an unconscious boy lay in the leaves. I immediately ran over to them. I looked down at the quiet boy; I notice his frail, sick-looking frame and light green hair. Azumarill leaned over the boy and, to my surprise, directed a jet of water straight at the poor boy's face. He suddenly sat up in alarm, making me jump back in shock. He took a long deep breath and then came to realise he was in company. He looked straight into my eyes; his beautiful emerald-green eyes mirrored the colour of his hair. I remained mesmerised with them until he started to speak, "W-What happened?" he managed to say, his voice was not short of a whisper as he spoke.

I pondered what to say; "Urm, Me and Azumarill just found you unconscious with a Poochyena" I started. His eyes looked around him in fear until I quickly added, "But it ran away".

The boy smiled at me, looking reassured. "Thanks" he said as he tried to stand. He managed to get half way up before falling back on his bum. He let out a small yelp when he hit the hard ground. I reached down and offered him a hand. Eventually he managed to stand, but I had to keep him steady.

"Where do you live?" I asked him, my voice didn't hide the fact that I was struggling to hold up his weight.

"Petalburg City" he said as he tried to point in the direction of his home. His arm fell and his face contracted in pain. Azumarill lead us towards the city. Conveniently, I'd of had to pass through Petalburg City anyway so I hoped the incident wouldn't make me too late. After a couple of awkward minutes of silence he said, "I'm Wally by the way". Although his voice was quiet he tried to put on a frail smile as he said it.

"I'm Bister, and that is Azumarill" I said, pointing towards her ahead of us.

"She must be pretty strong to fight off that Poochyena. You're lucky to have it as your pokémon" he said with a touch of envy.

"She was my mother's actually, but yes, she is very strong" I said the last bit extra loud so she would hear it.

By the time we'd reached the city of Petalburg, Wally was almost strong enough to walk by himself; I still decided to walk him to his house though. We got to the small house and Wally opened the door gently with the arm I wasn't holding up. A woman, who I presumed was his mother, ran across the kitchen to us and pulled out a chair for Wally to sit on.

"Wallykins?" she asked Wally frantically, "What happened?" Wally went bright red as his mother referred to him like a baby. Then, for the first time since we'd both walked in the door, she noticed me standing awkwardly by the wall, unsure of what I should do. "What happened?" she repeated. Wally looked up at her as if he was about to reply, but then he realised the question was not directed at him.

"Urh, well…" I started hesitantly. Wally's emerald-green eyes met mine again as he shook his head as if begging me from behind his mother. "Well… he just f-fell and hurt his foot, yeah" I lied, "I just thought I'd help him back" Wally smiled at me from across the room and I knew I'd done well.

"Oh…" his mother started, interrupting our little moment. "Well, thank you then, urh – what was your name?" she looked me up and down to see if she recognised me.

"Bister Brown", I said quickly as I noticed the time. I was surely going to be late now, unless I ran. Azumarill had noticed the time too and was standing impatiently at the door. "I'm sorry, I've really got to go now" I said, looking to and from the clock and Wally and his mother. "It was very nice meeting you both" I said walking back to the door where Azumarill stood frustrated at me. "And I hope your foot gets better, Wally" I added. We shared a smile at our secret before I closed the door behind me.

When we reached the city of Petalburg, Wally was almost strong enough to walk by himself. But I decided to still walk him to his house. We got to the small house and Wally opened the door gently with the arm I wasn't holding up. A woman, who I presumed was his mother, ran across the kitchen to us and pulled out a chair for Wally to sit on.

"Wallykins?" she asked Wally frantically, "What happened?" Wally went bright red as his mother referred to him like a baby. Then for the first time since we'd both walked in the door she noticed me standing awkwardly by the door, unsure of what I should do. "What happened?" she repeated. Wally looked up at her as if he was about to reply, but then he realised the question was not directed at him.

"Urh, well…" I started hesitantly. Wally's emerald-green eyes met mine again as he shook his head as if begging me from behind his mother. "Well… he just f-fell and hurt his foot, yeah" I lied, "I just thought I'd help him back" Wally smiled at me from across the room and I knew I'd done well.

"Oh…" his mother started, interrupting our little moment. "Well, thank you then, urh – what was your name?" she looked me up and down to see if she recognised me.

"Bister Brown", I said quickly as I noticed the time. I was surely going to be late now, unless I ran. Azumarill had noticed the time too and was standing impatiently at the door. "I'm sorry, I've really got to go now" I said, looking to and from the clock and Wally and his mother. "It was very nice meeting you both" I said walking back to the door where Azumarill stood frustrated at me. "And I hope your foot gets better Wally" I added. We shared a smile at our secret before I closed the door behind me.


	2. Chapter 2

I flew through the class room door before I even had time to say goodbye to Azumarill. _I'll apologise later,_ I thought to myself. I sat in my seat next to my best friend, Brodie. "Where've you been?" he said jokingly. His face was framed with immaculately well-maintained blonde curls. He sat coolly in his posh designer clothes - everything about him said 'rich'.

"Oh, just battling a wild Poochyena," I said teasingly, "– the usual," I added sarcastically. He looked at me in disbelief, but before I was able to tell him the full story the teacher walked through the door and the noisy room fell silent. This was not our usual teacher though, a short old man. The new teacher was a healthy, younger guy. His light grey hair and handsome looks dazzled the class. Normally a cover teacher would be ignored, but this man was different. He had a strong presence, so much so, that all eyes and ears were focused on him.

"Today I will be taking your class," he began, as his eyes moved across the faces of the class. "You may call me Mr Stone", he added. _I wonder if he's any relation to Mr Stone of 'Devon Corporation', _I thought. Mr Stone of 'Devon Corporation' was my father's boss while he was working in Rusturf Tunnel. "You may know me as a former Pokémon League Champion" he said proudly. The room gasped as they realised they were in the presence of a champion. The class erupted into whispers until Mr Stone's mouth opened again and the room fell into silence again. "I have been asked to come here today by my good friend Roxanne, to teach you what it means to be a trainer," he paused and looked out of the window at something. "We will be entering into the Training Arena so I can see for myself each of your abilities," his eyes refocused on the class. The classes' faces lit up at the prospect of a battle. We never seem to get to go in the Training Arena. With our normal teacher, you get the impression that he has never seen a Pokémon up close in his life, he seems almost afraid of them. "Follow me, class," Mr Stone said as walked towards the door. The class jumped up with great enthusiasm and half of them nearly ran into the door in their haste.

Brodie and I were one of the last out of the classroom, "I'm going against you," he said competitively, "and I'm gunna win!" he added with a wide smile.

"We'll see about that," I said jokingly and we looked at each other and laughed all the way down the corridor to the Training Arena.

We entered the Battle arena; the large yellow and green room had a single battle area in the center. We all stood around the battle area, Mr Stone stood in front of us all. "Who's up first then?" he asked the class, several people grabbed each other and put their hands up. Mr Stone pointed at two students, Darcy and Michelle, "You two," he then pointed towards a stand of pokéballs, "Take one," he instructed them. "Today you will be testing your knowledge instead of just your skill. By not knowing which pokémon you are about to use, you will be preparing for a situation where you may or may not have the disadvantage," he informed the class as he watched Darcy and Michelle walk over to the stand. Michelle picked the first pokéball she saw, whereas Darcy hovered his hand over them all until he eventually decided on one and picked it up. They stood on either end of the battle arena until Mr Stone yelled enthusiastically, "Begin!"

"Go!" roared Darcy as he threw the pokéball high into the air, it opened and a bright light shot out of it. The light cleared and a small, blue pokémon appeared. _A Poliwag_, I thought. The class 'oohed' in excitement.

Then Michelle threw her pokéball, "Now!" she shouted and a similar light bolted out of it. The pokémon that replaced the light was orangey-red and its tail was alight with flame.

Immediately I knew, "Charmander" I said under my breath. Mr Stone turned to me as if to answer a question. I just embarrassingly ignored his gaze and continued to watch the match.

_As long as Darcy played it right he was set to win. He definitely had the advantage. I'd never bring out a fire pokémon against a water pokémon, _I thought, reassured. _But I guess that this is what we're practicing; learning to battle with the disadvantage._

"Poliwag, water gun!" cried Darcy. The class watched in ore as the blue pokémon sent streams of water towards the Charmander.

"Dodge it, Charmander!" Michelle called, but she was very nearly too late. The Charmander got hit by 3 of the streams of water, but by a miracle it managed to dive out the way of the forth. The Charmander tried to get up off the hard ground. After failing to do so the first time, it eventually managed to pull itself up. "Ember!" Michelle screamed, she knew Charmander was not far off fainting. This was her last chance. The red hot flames flew at the unprepared Poliwag and knocked it to the ground. The class gasped at the turn of events.

"Come on, Poliwag!" called Darcy, "We have them!" the supporting words drove Poliwag to jump back up, "Yeah! Now, water bubble!" hundreds of bubbles appeared from the tiny pokémon's mouth aimed towards Charmander. There was no way to avoid the bubbles, the Charmander fled into Michelle's arms where it then fell. "Nice one, Poliwag!" Darcy said as he grabbed it in his arms. The class cheered in excitement and I was sure I could see money switching hands in the back of the crowd.

"Well done you two," Mr Stone called, he turned to Michelle, "You knew it would be a hard fight to win from the start, now you know why we're practising it," he explained. She nodded and took the Charmander off in her arms to recover. Mr Stone turned back to the class, "Next two?" he asked, scanning the room. Brodie grabbed my hand and shoved it in the air so fast he almost dislocated it. Mr Stone looked towards us both, "You two next, take your pokéball," he said pointing to the stand. Brodie and I casually walked up to the stand while the class talked amongst themselves about who they thought would win.

"You're going down, Miss Brown," he smirked. He smiled at me as he picked up a random pokéball. There was definitely something about Brodie's smile that made me go soft, and he knew it.

"Bring it on, rich boy" I joked. We laughed as I picked up the pokéball that was next to where Brodie's had been. I knew it was going to be a hard fight. Brodie was exceptionally talented in battles, but I think I had the hand when it came to knowledge. We got into our places and I gestured for him to go first. He hurled the ball far across the battle area, the light erupted from it. I was anxious to see what lay inside. The light vanished and a small, green pokémon emerged. It was a Treecko. I looked from Brodie's smug face to my hand where my pokéball lay. _Come on_, I thought as I hurled it towards Brodie. Out of the light materialised a brown and cream, furry pokémon. _Eevee_, I thought as I sighed in relief. I went through my head all the moves I knew the Eevee would have. '_Quick Attack', _I thought, _even_ '_Tackle' maybe?_ Not very many, but hopefully it would be enough to beat Brodie.

"Razor leaf, Treecko!" as soon as Brodie called it, the Treecko jumped into mid-air. Suddenly dozens of leaves were shooting out of its arms toward Eevee. I had to think fast.

"Dodge it, Eevee" I shouted across the arena. Eevee tried to dodge the soaring leaves from above, but a few hit. "Come on, Eevee" I called encouragingly. The pokémon stood ready, "Now! Quick Attack!" I screamed as Eevee seemingly vanished. It moved so fast at the Treecko you could hardly see it. Eevee hit the Treecko hard in the head, knocking it to the ground. In no time, Eevee was back in my half of the arena, stood ready to fight.

Brodie didn't even flinch; in fact he still looked as smug as ever. The Treecko jumped up, Brodie pointed towards Eevee, and without hesitation cried, "Fury swipes" the Treecko hurled itself at Eevee, claws poised. With a single swipe Eevee feel to the floor.

I gasped in shock and gritted my teeth; Brodie wasn't going to win this easily. "Eevee!" I cried, "Bite attack!" With a sudden burst of adrenaline, Eevee got up and ran towards Treecko with all its might.

But just before Eevee reached Treecko, Brodie commanded, "Mega Drain". Treecko and Eevee began to glow white. Eevee stopped its attack in confusion. It fell to the floor in exhaustion, as the glow faded and its energy was drained from it. The Treecko ran back to Brodie immediately where he picked it up and hugged it.

I ran over to the Eevee and feel to my knees. I picked it up and held it to my shoulder like you might a baby. I stroked its soft fur and rocked it back and forth. Brodie walked over with Treecko sat on his shoulder. "Well done" I said to him.

He smiled graciously, "You both put up a good fight," he replied as he stroked the Eevee in my arms.

"Nice battle the both of you, it was hit and run right until the end," Mr Stone told us as he walked over. "That was a nice recovery, Treecko," he added as he patted the delighted pokémon. He turned back to the class, "Next two?" he bellowed.

"Come on," Brodie beckoned, "We better go let Eevee recover," we walked off into the Nurse's office next door. I gave Brodie Eevee's pokéball and he opened it. The light reappeared and the Eevee in my arms vanished into the pokéball. I gave the pokéball to the nurse and she put both Treecko and Eevee's into a machine. Within a few seconds the machine stopped and the nurse took out the two pokéballs and gave them to us. We opened them again and went to sit down with both the pokémon.

Eevee and Treecko jumped on and off the couch we were sitting on. I was surprised that Eevee was happy to play with the Treecko that just battled it. "Do you want something to eat?" I asked the pokémon. They stopped playing and both nodded at me.

"I'll go get some," Brodie said as he walked back up towards the desk again. He came back with a white bag of PokéBlocks. They're basically just pokémon food made of different kinds of berries and such. He sat down and picked a pink block from the bag. He offered it to Treecko, who then took it with both hands and stuffed it in its mouth. I giggled at the pokémon's lack of manners. Brodie smiled at me, the kind of smile that makes me go soft. I stared at his perfect face as he stretched his hand out to mine. But just as his hand moved less than a foot away from mine, Eevee leapt on to it thinking Brodie was offering it some food. "Ouch!" he yelped, pulling back his hand. Eevee looked up at him confused and I burst out laughing. Finally, even Brodie couldn't help but see the funny side. I reached into the white bag and pulled out a PokéBlock. Eevee watched my hand carefully, like it was making sure that it wasn't going to let the food get away from it this time. I held out the food and the Eevee nibbled at it, using my hand as a plate. I smiled at the sight. Eevee seemed to really like me; she would cuddle up to me and lie in my arms. _I make it feel safe_, I thought happily.

The door opened and two new trainers came through, Alice and Myles. Alice was a sweet but quiet girl with short red hair, while Myles had dark brown hair and was rather more sociable and quirky. They handed in their pokéballs and Myles came over to us while Alice stayed at the nurse station. "What pokémon did you two get?" I asked Myles curiously.

He smiled at the Eevee now eating out of my hand, "I got a Bellsprout and Alice got a Nidoran – Alice won, obviously," he didn't even sound saddened as he spoke of his defeat. "God knows why I came to Trainer school," he exclaimed. "Everyone knows I'm a breeder," he sighed. It was true; Myles was the best breeder I knew. He could tell the gender of a pokémon a mile off.

"What gender are Eevee and Treecko?" I tested him as I watched the Eevee yawn.

"Eevee is female and Treecko is male," he responded promptly without a glance at either of them. Brodie and I looked at each other in amazement, but Myles seemed totally unfazed by his skill. Instead, he watched as Alice walked over holding in her arms the Nidoran and the Bellsprout.

_So you're a little girl then_, I thought adoringly to Eevee as I looked into her beautiful big brown eyes as she lay peacefully on my lap. Brodie passed over the white bag of PokéBlocks and Alice placed them on her lap and began feeding the Nidoran.

"Eevee is so cute!" Alice squeaked in a baby voice as she tickled Eevee's tummy. Alice was right; Eevee was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. I smiled as the pokémon rolled on its back, begging for a tickle.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Brodie asked as he fed the Treecko another PokéBlock. He looked up at my blank face. We both looked at Myles and Alice, but they were both so involved in feeding their pokémon that they didn't hear Brodie's question. "Ahem," Brodie coughed loudly, trying to grab their attention.

"Oh," Myles said eventually, "Mr Stone told us to send you back in after your pokémon have recovered". Brodie opened the pokéballs and Eevee and Treecko vanished back into them. _I miss her already_,I sighed as I thought of Eevee. I saw Brodie notice my saddened face. Brodie put the pokéballs on a second stand on the nurses' station and we walked back through the door to the arena. As we walked through the door Brodie leant into my ear and whispered to me, "One day, I'll get you an Eevee of your own," I blushed. He shut the door behind us as he softly added, "I promise".

As we walked in to the arena, the fourth battle was just finishing. The remaining students still cheered passionately from the side lines until a pokémon fell. Mr Stone stood at the side of the battle area, his eyes moved between the class and me and Brodie. He beckoned us both towards him as the class chatted among themselves, oblivious to our return. We slowly walked across the empty pitch until we were back with the class. "You two," Mr Stone said as he pointed at me and Brodie. Some of the class chattered among themselves in annoyance, possibly mistakably thinking that Mr Stone was picking us for a second battle. "This is going to take a lot of time," he exclaimed, turning to the rows of eager raised hands, "Roxanne needs some assistance in the Beginner's class, you two seem to have learnt enough here," he said as he dismissed us. He turned back to the class and asked for new volunteers.

"Come on then," I said to Brodie as I walked down towards the door back to the corridor. We walked past the 'Pokéball storage room' and the 'pokémon doctor's class'; I peered through the door as we walked passed. I saw Nurse Joy showing a student how to bandage an injured Sneasel. We finally got to the yellow door that was labelled, 'Roxanne, Beginner's Class'. Brodie looked at me and knocked twice on the door.

"Come in," a high voice invited us. We both peered our heads behind the door to see Roxanne, the Rustboro Gym Leader and the 'beginner's class' teacher. "Ah, Did Steven send you?-I mean, Mr Stone," she corrected herself.

"Urh, yes," Brodie muttered. The children in the class looked up at us curiously. "He said you needed some help with something," he questioned, trying to ignore the stares he was receiving from the class.

"Do you have a pokémon?" one of the small boys asked as he looked up at Brodie, his face was covered in paint.

Roxanne walked over and laughed as she ruffled the little boy's hair, "No Henry, but they're here to you teach you about some of the pokémon they know about," she looked from the boy's face to ours and added, "Take a few of the pokéballs out to show some of the children". She pointed at the small stand of about a dozen pokéballs on her desk. "Just talk about the pokémon," she said as she looked down at the children again, "no battling though" she added quickly. "I need to go take care of something at the gym. Hopefully it won't take too long, but you never know." She smiled and walked out the class door. Brodie and I watched her leave, both daunted by the responsibility that had been thrusted upon us.

Brodie turned to me as he picked up one of the many pokéballs from the desk. He opened the ball and a light appeared on the desk in front of him. The pokémon on the desk was a small blue pokémon with a shell on its back. "Squirtle!" the little boy, Henry, called as he pointed at the desk.

"Very good, Henry," I praised him. Brodie pulled out the chair under the desk Squirtle was sitting on for me. I sat down on it, I yelped - shocked at how low down the chair was, eventually remembering it was designed for small children. "This is a water pokémon everyone," Brodie said as the children looked at him curiously.

He taught the children like a proper teacher and I was very impressed at how well the children got on with him too. _He will make a very good father one day_, I thought to myself as I watched children laugh and put their paint-covered hands all over him. Brodie reacted melodramatically, throwing his hands in the air, making the children laugh even harder. Eventually he escaped and came to sit with me on the table which I was observing him from. "Okay everyone, its home time now," Roxanne's petite voice filled the room as she re-entered. The children turned their heads and dropped their pokémon plush toys.

"I made you this," a shy voice said from behind the two of us. We turned to see Henry holding out a picture for Brodie. Brodie took the picture in his hands; it was a picture of Brodie and the Squirtle. In the picture, Brodie was holding a pokéball in front of the large banner that filled the background. The banner read, 'Best Trainer Ever' in large gold writing. I looked up at Brodie's face, his blushed cheeks and teary eyes were fixated on the picture in his hands.

"Thank you, Henry," he said, he couldn't stop smiling. Henry gave him a big hug and ran out the door. As Henry left, Roxanne entered the room again; we'd never noticed she'd left.

"No running, Henry!" she called after him, but he was long gone. She walked up to the both of us, "Thank you both for your help," she said solemnly. She caught a glimpse of the picture Henry had drawn. "You obviously made an impression on the children," she added with a smile. She walked to door of the room and paused, still facing the door, "I don't doubt that you will both be great trainers," she turned around to us. "Once you have your pokémon you are free to come and test your skills against me for the Stone Badge," she smiled and then walked out the door.

"Come on then," Brodie said as he got up from the small desk. I smiled as I walked to the door he'd opened for me. "I almost forgot - I've got another joke!" he exclaimed excitedly, "hang on," he added, trying to recall it as we walked. "Oh yeah, why did the Torchic cross the road?" he grinned at me, obviously excited to tell me the punch-line.

I'd heard this joke before. Although I couldn't remember the actual answer, however I did remember it was an especially bad joke. "I don't know, to get away from a… urh, Poochyena or something?" I looked at him unsure. He looked back at my response in confusion.

"Urm," he looked at the floor, searching through his head for the punch-line. "I… urh, can't actually remember the answer so we'll go with the Poochyena thing," he looked away embarrassed. We walked in silence until we reached the pavement. A black tinted-windowed car pulled up to us. "You need a lift, Bist?" He turned from the posh car before him, back to me.

"I'm good thanks, Brodie," I pointed towards Azumarill who was sitting by the main entrance of the school. The chauffeur of the black car opened the back door and waited patiently for Brodie to enter.

Brodie nodded, "I'll see you tomorrow then," he said as he entered the car. The door shut and the driver got back into the driver's seat. As the engine started Brodie's window opened revealing his face. "Try not to be late tomorrow too," he laughed and the car drove off towards his mansion-of-a-house in the city.

I was left on the side of the road by myself. Looking up into the sky, I thought I saw an Skarmory flying graciously through the clouds. I jumped as a strong voice startled me from behind, "Bister, a word please". I turned to see Mr Stone, briefcase in hand.

"Yes, Mr Stone?" I asked curiously. He tilted his head towards the sky, probably after noticing the Skarmory is well.

"Please, Bister," he said as he looked down from the sky, "I am no longer your teacher, call me Steven". I still wasn't going to call him Steven, but I nodded in agreement, allowing him to continue. He noticed my hesitation but carried on. "I just wanted to tell you, I can see great things for you, Bister," he admitted as I felt my face turn red. "In fact, I have no doubts that you will be a great trainer one day, maybe even, a Champion," I felt my jaw drop as he said the words. I was so shocked and surprised. _Why? _I wondered, _what's so special about me? _

"But Mr St-", I began.

"-Please, Steven," he interrupted, before allowing me to continue.

"Steven," I corrected myself, "But Brodie beat me, isn't he the one who's going to be a great trainer?" I questioned.

He sighed and looked me in the eyes as he said, "Bister, being a great battler out of luck is just that, mere luck!" he exclaimed. "You have the ability – the knowledge - to train, to grow _with_ your pokémon". He stared into nothingness, as if remembering a memory, before he turned sharply back to me. "One day, we will battle," he added, he said it like you would a goodbye. Suddenly a black blur shot between us and Mr Sto-Steven was gone. I looked into the sky to see that the Skarmory too was now gone.

While I was talking to Steven, Azumarill had noticed I'd already left the school building and wandered over to me. She looked up at me in confusion. I remembered I had to apologise to her for leaving this morning, I crouched to her level. "I'm sorry for this morning Azumarill," I said apologetically, "You did amazing against that Poochyena," she looked at me, her eyes full of glee. "We'll go by the PokéMart and I'll buy you a treat," I added, she started jumping up and down with excitement and before I knew it she was already bouncing off towards the PokéMart. "Wait up," I called as I ran after her.

We got to the door of the PokéMart and the automatic doors swung open. Azumarill eagerly darted off towards the 'Pokémon Food & Treats' section. "Bister!" a warm familiar voice called from behind the shop counter. "I haven't seen you in here for a while" the shop assistant exclaimed. I recognised him as Mr Pail, a middle-aged man whose son graduated from my school a year ago. "Where's that young lad you're always with?" he asked, I assumed he was talking about Brodie.

"He's gone home, I was just popping in for some treats for Azumarill," I explained to him as he knelt on the floor, placing Elixirs on the shelf in front of him. "How's Jackson getting on?" I asked him curiously as soon as I remembered his son's name.

He looked up from the shelf and smiled proudly at me as he spoke of his son, "Jackson's fine, he called the other day actually to say his Shroomish has evolved. He also said he wants to train to become a Pokémon Ranger". My mind flashed back to an image of a teenage boy running out of the school doors last year holding a delighted little Shroomish. _If it's evolved, it must be a Breloom now_, I thought, impressed at Jackson's level of skill. "So you've got your starter pokémon already then?" he said as he watched Azumarill struggling to reach a can of Aprijuice. Suddenly, he turned back to me in realisation. "Oh, I'm sorry Bister," he started remorsefully. "My old memory," he blamed, "I forgot Azumarill was your mothe-" he stopped himself in embarrassment. _He knew my mother_, I thought, astonished. I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. "She was a good woman, your mother was," he said eventually, noticing my silence. I just nodded in agreement.

Azumarill strolled over to us and held out a bag of Poffins. I handed over the change, "Thank you, Mr Pail," I said quietly. He nodded sorrowfully back at me, "Tell Jackson I'll being keeping an eye out for him," I added before me and Azumarill wandered out the door. Even before the automatic doors had shut behind us Azumarill snatched the bag of Poffins from my hand and started to munch on the doughy treats inside. I stood there watching her nibble at the treats. I wandered about all the adventures Azumarill had had with my mother all that time ago.

My mother lived with her cruel grandmother in Dewford Town, a settlement on a small island off the west coast of mainland Hoenn. She'd always wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer, but her grandmother thought it was a waste of time and forced her to stay in the house and study with her. One day my mother snuck out of the house and wandered down to the shore near the bluffs. She was looking out at sea when suddenly she saw something small thrashing about in the water. She recklessly dived into the rock-filled sea and swam towards the distress. After battling the merciless waves she came across a small Azurill caught in a fisherman's net. The poor blue creature was struggling to stay above the water and was getting constantly hit by the high waves. It was nearly unconscious when my mother finally reached it. She dove below the Azurill and used her hair pin to free it. When she reached the surface again the Azurill was unconscious and sinking down to the bottom of the sea. My mother seized it and started the exhausting swim back to shore. Finally she reached land and ran straight to the local Pokémon Center, soaking wet. After the Azurill was revived it wouldn't leave my mother's side. They were simply inseparable, and due to her grandmother's disgust at the pokémon her granddaughter had brought home with her, my mother and Azurill ran away and left for mainland Hoenn, where Azurill evolved into Marill and then Azumarill, and where my mother eventually met my dad.

My mother had spent the majority of her life with Azumarill, the pokémon that had once been the Azurill she'd saved at the age of fifteen. I thought of all the tales my mother told me when I was little about her adventures with Azumarill. You could tell they were some of the best days of her life. Even in her bed at the hospital she'd tell me the stories of her youth. I looked down again at Azumarill as she finished another Poffin. "Do you remember my mother, Azumarill?" I asked sombrely. The pokémon looked to the floor and I felt a wash of pain flow through her. She seemed to have forgotten the tasty treats she held in her hands. Instead of gorging on them she remained motionless looking to the ground. Perhaps she was even recalling the scene where she and my mother had first met as I had just done. She finally looked up at me with teary eyes. _She lost her best friend the day my mother died_, I said to myself as I thought of Azumarill. We slowly turned away from the PokéMart and started the long journey home, both deeply depressed.

We both returned home that evening to find my father's Machoke in the front yard doing some gardening. Machoke looked like a scary brute of a creature, but it was actually incredibly sensitive and caring. Since the tunnel construction had been cancelled it had a lot of time on its hands and had taken up gardening as a bit of a hobby. It was very good at it is well, our Oran Berry Trees had never looked better.

We walked into the kitchen where we were greeted by my father and some visitors. Four new faces stood in the kitchen; an old couple who seemed deep in conversation with my father, and a young couple who seemed to not be able to take their eyes off each other. The young couple seemed at first sight a bit of an odd match, the man was a broad and burly-looking guy, whereas the woman was sweet and delicate looking. They stood mesmerised at the other as if they hadn't seen each other in ages.

"This, everyone, is my daughter, Bister," he introduced me.

"Doesn't she look just like Isabella, Stuart," the old woman said endearingly, "a natural beauty," she added. I smiled back at her, trying to graciously thank her for the compliment.

My dad nodded in agreement. Then he looked at me, "Bister, this is Betty and Graham from the other side of town," he pointed at the old couple as he acquainted us. He moved his hand towards the young couple and added, "and this is their daughter, Wanda, and her boyfriend from Rustboro City, Riley," they both nodded to me in acknowledgement.

"Riley just came from Rustboro tonight," Wanda told me, obviously delighted.

"Can you believe it? He managed to finish the tunnel between Rustboro and Verdanturf!" my father exclaimed, seemingly amazed at this fact.

"-with the help of a young trainer I might add," Riley interjected.

"Wait," I said in disbelief, "so there's now a tunnel to Route 116?"

I looked at Riley for an answer. But before Riley could speak, my father interrupted, "Yes Bister, but that doesn't mean you can use it as a short cut tomorrow to school," he said firmly. "You don't know who or what could be in there," he added softly.

I looked at the floor embarrassed at my dad's over protectiveness. _I am not a child_, I thought, _I will be free to do as I will at the in two days!_

"Your father is right, Bister," a solemn voice said. I looked up to see Riley, "I've never seen some of the pokémon I saw in there. Sometimes the shadows terrified me so much I thought of running for help," he looked at me with his petrified eyes. The tension in the room was as terrifying as the shadows he spoke of.

Wanda put her arms around his neck oblivious of the tension, "but you still went to all that trouble _just for me,_" she said before she kissed him again.

"Come on you two, enough," Betty interrupted jokingly. "I meant to ask you Wanda, have you heard anything of your cousin in Petalburg City?" she asked. I walked over to the television, not interested in their change of subject and still slightly disgruntled at my dad.

I could hear Wanda continuing the conversation quietly in the kitchen, "He's still suffering mum, a serious form of asthm-"

"-The weather this week is simply to die for!" the television roared, "-And it will be like this for another week at least, our sources from the Weather Institute inform us," the man on the television had bright white teeth and combed-across hair. The screen showed him in front of the Weather Institute near Fortree, where the rainforest is. I tried to replace myself with the man on the television in my mind. _Two days_, I thought, _I'll be free to travel everywhere and anywhere in just two days_.

I thought again about the tunnel. _What could possibly be so scary that I couldn't handle?_ I questioned myself, _there must only be Zubats, Whismurs and maybe Geodudes in there, I've handled much worse._ It was settled then. Tomorrow I would journey through the Rusturf Tunnel instead of going the long way round. I'd have to get Azumarill in on it too thought and knowing her, that would probably be the hardest part.


End file.
